Jimmy Garoppolo’s time with the San Francisco 49ers established him as one of the NFL’s more reliable game managers.
Although 31-year-old lacks the sort of explosive, game-changing talent some envisioned he might have when he was serving as Tom Brady’s New England Patriots backup, his success in The Bay can’t be denied.
Because of that, with him hitting free agency on Monday, there is no shortage of suitors interested in Garoppolo’s services.
Two in particular stand above the rest, though.
“The [Houston] Texans and [Las Vegas] Raiders are expected to pursue former 49ers’ QB Jimmy Garoppolo, per league sources,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported.
“[The New York] Jets also could get in, but they’re in wait-and-see mode right now.”
Garoppolo reportedly wants in excess of $25 million annually on his next deal – a number he will likely get.
There was initially some chatter that perhaps the Niners would make a bid at retaining Garoppolo, particularly given Brock Purdy’s injury and Trey Lance’s incessant female drama. But in the end all parties involved decided to move on.
If Garoppolo joined the Raiders, he would obviously reunite with Josh McDaniels, who is desperate for a competent quarterback to work with.
Jarrett Stidham briefly served as the interim starter after Las Vegas benched Derek Carr, but he couldn’t get anything going. His wife’s provocative outfits to games left much more of an impression on fans than anything he actually did on the football field.
The video speaks for itself. https://t.co/HNMYwXU2KB
— Game 7 (@game7__) March 13, 2023
The Texans would also make sense for Garoppolo. Obviously Houston has had a gaping hole at quarterback since sending Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns.
Garoppolo could serve as a bridge between where the team is now and whoever they anoint as their eventual franchise quarterback.
One way or the other, Garoppolo will find a home somewhere. The market for him is strong. Where will he be playing come Week 1 of the new season? Time will tell.
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Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
